If we separate, will I get my down payment on the house back?
Let’s assume you and your spouse, whether common-law or married, own your home as joint tenants and you each paid an equal amount towards the down payment. If that’s the case, then if you separate you will each get your half of the down payment back when you sell the home and split the net...
View the post titled If we separate, will I get my down payment on the house back?Who gets the pet during separation or divorce?
So, you’ve just separated from your partner and now face the daunting task of deciding who will get to keep the beloved family pet. In some situations, the matter is resolved without much consideration for family law in Ontario. Sometimes the party that brought a pet into the relationship ca…
View the post titled Who gets the pet during separation or divorce?Does a father have unequal rights to parent?
In family law, there is a long-held misconception that mothers will be favoured over fathers for decision-making responsibility (custody) and parenting time (access). Back in the 1950s, courts firmly held that young children should spend the majority of time with their mother in what was cal…
View the post titled Does a father have unequal rights to parent?So, you want to settle your family law case?
Family law disputes can be especially challenging for the couple involved. They are never easy. Often, the participants are parents who share children. Sometimes, they are shareholders who share a business. The point is that there is a lot at stake. The issues are very personal and there is …
View the post titled So, you want to settle your family law case?Adopting your stepchild
In the course of my practice I have met many stepparents that want to adopt their stepchild. The reasons to want to adopt a stepchild are very personal and diverse to the stepparent, child and their parent. Sometimes the biological parent is unknown or absent, due to death or other reasons. …
View the post titled Adopting your stepchildNew rules for mobility and relocation for parents
Mobility or relocation is an issue that commonly arises for clients. The client may want to move for an employment opportunity, a new relationship, etc. So what are your rights and responsibility’s with respect to the issue of mobility when you have a child? The rules regarding to a parent’s…
View the post titled New rules for mobility and relocation for parentsWhat is a Case Conference before a Dispute Resolution Officer?
The Dispute Resolution Program (DRO) program is available in certain locations of the Superior Court of Justice, Family Court, including London, Toronto, Brampton, Milton, Newmarket, Hamilton, Barrie, Durham, and St. Catharines. Family law Case Conferences All family law cases, if they follo…
View the post titled What is a Case Conference before a Dispute Resolution Officer?The benefits of separation agreements: Lessons from Bill and Melinda Gates
On Monday, May 3, 2021, Bill and Melinda Gates announced they were ending their marriage after 27 years. Having kept their separation quiet until now, the pair have been working quietly behind the scenes with their lawyers to come to a separation contract, or a “Separation Agreement” as we c…
View the post titled The benefits of separation agreements: Lessons from Bill and Melinda GatesCan adultery be used as a reason for divorce?
Three grounds for divorce In Canada the laws related to divorce are governed by the Divorce Act, which effective March 1, 2021 underwent some significant amendments. The Divorce Act is federal legislation, so it applies all across Canada. The Divorce Act sets out what must occur prior to a C…
View the post titled Can adultery be used as a reason for divorce?Big changes on the way for child relocation/mobility cases
In September 2020, the Ontario government introduced Bill 207 – the Moving Ontario Family Law Forward Act, 2020. If passed (as expected), this Bill will amend Ontario’s Children’s Law Reform Act (“CLRA”) and other Acts respecting various family law matters. The proposed amendments are largel…
View the post titled Big changes on the way for child relocation/mobility casesReceive Blog Posts
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